Code Pink Journals CodePINK Journals

Work 4 Peace,Hold All Life Sacred,Eliminate Violence! I am on my mobile version of the door-to-door, going town-to-town holding readings/gatherings/discussions of my book "But What Can I Do?" This is my often neglected blog mostly about my travels since 9/11 as I engage in dialogue and actions. It is steaming with my opinions, insights, analyses toward that end of holding all life sacred, dismantling the empire and eliminating violence while creating the society we want ALL to thrive in

Sunday, October 09, 2016

We feel the people who died at this border 'check' point...to be continued

There is to be a protest at the end of the border action today, about 20 miles north of Nogales where there is a border 'check' point.

I will risk arrest if I can find someone not risking arrest to drive my truck for me. When I arrive at the chosen location, there are about 20 cars and at least 30 people hanging out on the steep cement slope under the overpass casting shade limiting the afternoon heat.

Soon our numbers swells to a couple hundred folks, as well as the beginning presence of bewildered but keeping their distance border patrol officers in 2 cars, and we divide into three groups: red - those who are willing to be arrested; yellow - those who are willing to push the envelope and maybe risk arrest; and green - those who will not do anything (blatant) to risk arrest.

The red and yellow group march directly up the ramp onto the freeway along side the tall orange cones that block lanes and slow down traffic, toward the waiting green uniforms of migra and the makeshift canopy covering the stop and the small trailer providing office and recon space. Several border patrol vehicles are parked behind the stop onto the shoulder.

The green group marches along the frontage road that dead-ends at the check-point, separated from the ramp and highway by a barbed-wire fence and dry short foilage.

I have been unable to find someone to drive my truck so I'm marching with the green group, although I'd love to be able to risk arrest.

Day 3: I weep and rage - to be continued

I take time this morning to blog a little - it is sunday, the last day of the action at Nogales and as everyone knows, I don't pray, I fight so I don't have a need to go to the border wall and kneel in the dust to pray to a god created by the oppressor.

But I do want to go to the later rally and concert. Walking the mile from the hotel thru the town to the wall, I hear the christians are broadcasting on very loud speakers all over the town their sermon, reading from the bible which brings me back to Senegal and the sermon from the mosque also blasting through that town.

When I arrive at the wall, people have already begun to speak, to document the harm, the violence that has been done in the name of u.s. empire to human beings at this wall, in prisons, even in their own homes. The names and ages and lives of these murdered people are re-counted and the state violence revealed.

It is so hard not to fall on my knees to wail and rent my clothes before I fiercely rise fists in the air, lightening flashing from my eyes, my words thunder.

How do we not fall to our knees at the foot of every Black or brown person, every immigrant, every Indigenous person, how do we not cut up every single fuckin credit card we have, how do we not vow NEVER to buy another new thing, how do we not walk out on our stupid, violent, horrific jobs and our equally obscene homes filled with rooms we don't use, shit we take out of a plastic bag and put somewhere forgotten, plastic we throw all over the Mother Earth after we kill millions of people to extract petroleum to make the plastic, how do we not walk out on our families, walk out on our lives created and fueled by capitalism, racism, misogyny, war.

Why aren't we throwing our bodies down, laying prostrate on the Mother Earth, begging her forgiveness and vowing to protect her with our last breath of life that she has given us.

Why aren't we here at the border, tearing down these fucking walls, joining NOT ONE MORE DEATH in searching out immigrants, refugees trying to escape our hegemony, trying to reach a safer place on earth, a more secure place.

Why aren't we destroying the machinery, blowing up the machinery that is destroying our Mother Earth, that is killing our children, our children's children, our children's children's children.

How can we keep refusing to embrace the life we should all be living: a life that prevents and ends violence, a life that holds all life sacred, a life that refuses to - overtly or covertly - hurt other human beings.
How????